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HomeExclusiveCan A Soft Mattress Cause Leg Pain

Can A Soft Mattress Cause Leg Pain

Broken Support Core Creates Bad Posture And Pressure

Best Mattress For Neck And Shoulder Pain – Our Top 6 Beds!

A broken or worn-out support core can result in hip pain as you sleep due to the knock-on effect that it has on the integrity of the mattress potentially resulting in sagging, indents, softening, and creating an uncomfortable sleeping surface.

Solution

The only real fix for a mattress with a broken support core is to buy a new mattress because the structure of the mattress is so compromised that using a mattress topper will likely be insufficient in offsetting the damage.

Look For A Mattress With A Money

New mattresses can be pricey. Plus, theres no assurance that the one you pick will ease your chronic pain or be the right firmness for you.

While you may be able to try it out in the store for a few minutes, how do you know if the decision youre making will work for you in the long run?

When you decide to buy a new mattress, look for a company that offers a money-back guarantee. That way, you can test drive your bed for 30 days or more, knowing that you can return the mattress if youre not satisfied.

But be sure to read the fine print the money-back guarantee may only apply to certain mattress brands in the store.

How To Pick A Good Mattress For Your Back

Every one has different sleep preferences, which can make it hard to find the perfect mattress. Look for one that is not too firm or too soft. If the mattress is too firm, it will push on your pressure points and cause misalignment. Similarly, if the bed is too soft, it will allow your body to sink into the bed causing bad posture while you sleep, which can then lead to pain. The right mattress should make you feel like you are floating on air.

Financial times might be tough at the moment, but one should consider in investing in a good mattress. Think about it, you should be spending 7-9 hours on your mattress each night, which makes it an important piece of furniture. You want to invest in something that will give you better sleep and less pain, instead of going frugal and buying a mattress that is not right for your body.

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The Role Of Your Mattress

We spend one-third of each day in bed, meaning your mattress and how you sleep is just as important as focusing on posture in the daytime hours. Since sleep is a time for healing and renewal, it may arguably be even more important.

So, what is the best mattress for back pain?

Its an important, often-asked question. But, there is no single right answer. When it comes to picking a bed, there are no hard and fast rules that will apply for every person, every time. Essentially, the best mattress is the one that you feel gives you good, refreshing sleep with minimal pain and stiffness.

While we all have different preferences and needs that are important to consider, research and studies can shed some insight on different mattress traits and how they may interact with back pain.

The Two Basics of Beds

At their most basic, beds do two things: provide support and comfort.

Support comes from the core of the mattress, typically a sturdy foam layer or innersprings depending on the type of bed. A supportive mattress will have enough firmness to keep your spine aligned, meaning your heavier areas like hips and shoulders wont sink too far into the bed. On the other hand, it shouldnt be so firm that it forces hips and shoulders up at an awkward angle either.

Now, comfort is pretty easy to identify, but how do you know if a mattress is providing adequate support? Essentially, your spine should maintain an even, natural posture , with whichever sleep position you prefer.

Signs Of A Bad Mattress

Best Mattress Topper for Hip Pain

The warning signs of a bad mattress arent always obvious, but if youre experiencing any of the following, it might be an indication that your mattress isnt performing as it should.

Aches and Pains: Waking up with aches and pains may be due to the comfort layers in your mattress breaking down, causing pressure points when you sink onto the firmer support core.

Poor Sleep: Tossing and turning on an uncomfortable mattress may result in poor sleep quality, even if youre not consciously aware of it. If you no longer wake up feeling refreshed, your mattress may be at the end of its life. Other signs that your mattress is affecting your sleep include waking up multiple times a night or taking longer than usual to fall asleep.

Sagging: Almost all mattresses start to sag over time as a result of supporting the weight of your body night after night. A sagging mattress can lead to uneven spinal support, which may cause pressure to build up in your back and neck as you sleep. Seeing permanent body indentations in the mattress is a clear sign that it needs replacing.

Poor Support: The layers of the mattress are meant to work together to support the shape of your spine. The comfort layers should conform to encourage proper spinal alignment without excessive sinking. Similarly, the support core should provide a stable base to support the heavier parts of the body and keep the spine on an even plane. If you are waking up stiff and sore, it may be due to an unsupportive mattress.

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How Do I Get Rid Of Shoulder Pain From Sleeping

Using a medium-firm mattress and the right pillow for a persons sleeping position may help reduce shoulder pain from sleeping. People can also relieve shoulder pain at home by resting the shoulder and taking anti-inflammatory medications. However, if these interventions do not work, a person should see their doctor.

How Sleep Can Contribute To Back Pain

Although there are many potential sources of lower back pain, how youre sleeping can be a factor. When youre sleep-deprived, your tolerance for pain is lower than it would be if you slept well. Studies have shown that losing sleep can heighten sensitivity to painful stimuli. In theory, sleep loss increases painful inflammation and getting enough sleep may reduce inflammation.

Another factor that can increase back pain is your response to pain medication when youre sleep-deprived. In a study of healthy normal adults, the analgesic effects of codeine are diminished in sleep-deprived individuals versus non-sleepy individuals. Sleeping well may help your pain medications work better.

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Can A Bad Mattress Cause Sciatica

Many factors can affect how suitable a mattress is for someone. For example, a persons weight and sleeping position may require a certain level of firmness.

A mattress that is too soft or too firm may not be comfortable. A person may wake up with aches and pains if the mattress does not provide the correct level of support.

If a person is waking up with back pain, it may be a result of their mattress. However, back pain and sciatica can occur for many reasons. If a person believes they have sciatica, they should contact a doctor to discuss diagnosis and treatment. A healthcare professional may also recommend strategies to help relieve sciatica pain.

Do Memory Foam Mattresses Cause Leg Pain

Is Your Mattress Causing Back Pain?

If youre worried that your memory foam mattress is causing your nightly leg pain, this is unlikely if its still in good condition.Memory foam helps to ease aches and pains by providing a cushioning surface that moulds to your body. If your memory foam mattress is very old and showing signs of damage, this could affect your quality of sleep and should be replaced.

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Can Sciatica Be Caused By A Bad Mattress

While its unlikely that a mattress is the root cause of sciatic nerve pain, a bad mattress can certainly exacerbate the problem. An unsupportive sleeping surface often contributes to the discomfort and may even make your symptoms worse. Your spine needs plenty of support, and if you dont have a good mattress, its easy for those sciatic nerve roots to become compressed.

In general, if youre a back sleeper, you want a firm mattress that encourages spinal alignment. For side sleepers, you may want to go a little softer but still find a mattress that supports your hips and shoulders. And for tummy sleepers, a medium-firm mattress can offer adequate support, though its a good idea to sleep with a pillow or foam pad tucked under your stomach.

The secret to taming sciatica is to support your spine especially your lower back and a firm mattress is best suited for this task. If you think your soft foam mattress might be causing your back pain, pay attention to when your pain is most acute. If its bothersome when you first wake up, but goes away after some light stretching or after a few minutes of regular activity, thats a good sign that your mattress may be the culprit. If you find yourself tossing and turning during the night, struggling to stay comfortable, that may also be a clue that the foam layer of your mattress isnt providing enough back support.

Select The Right Materials

Beyond the firmness, you should also take the time to select the right mattress materials to help with your hip pain as follows:

Memory Foam

Memory foam can be a good choice if you have hip pain because the highly adaptive nature of the materials means that you can sleep on a surface thats unique to your body shape for better posture and reduced pressure.

Latex Foam

Latex foam can also adapt to your body shape to potentially alleviate hip pain whilst also providing more bounce and breathability than memory foam which can benefit restless sleepers and warmer sleepers that need to stay cool and dry.

Innersprings

Mattresses with individually wrapped pocket coils in the support core can be especially beneficial for sleepers with hip pain because the coils can adapt one-by-one to provide better support and help maintain good posture more effectively than a regular spring mattress with a fused coil core that responds as a unit to your body weight.

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Try Gentle Yoga Stretches Before Bed

Research has shown that yoga or intensive stretching can help reduce low back pain. It can also help reduce your stress and make you sleep better.

Talk to your doctor about which poses are safe for you to practice and which ones wonât make your pain worse. It might be helpful to start off using yoga props like blocks and bolsters for added support so that you can hold poses comfortably. And taking a few yoga classes with an instructor to be sure youâre doing the poses and breathing correctly — which is key to relaxation — isnât a bad idea either.

Choose Sleep Positions That Support Pain Relief

Best Mattress For Sciatica Nerve Pain and Piriformis ...

How you sleep plays an important role in managing back pain, as certain positions place more strain on the back than others. Generally, back sleeping and supported side sleeping are regarded as most ergonomic, while stomach sleeping tends to be most associated with pain. Whichever position you prefer, here are tips for staying comfortable.

Side Sleepers

Side sleeping is the most common position, especially among women. While it can place some strain on the body, ensuring your hips and shoulders are supported can make it comfortable.

Ideally, side sleepers should bend both knees in slightly and place a small pillow between their legs to prevent hips from twisting and placing stress on the back. If your legs are too straight, this can exaggerate the curve of your lower back, but if your legs are drawn in too tightly, your back may round and both can cause pain. Getting the best mattress for side sleepers is also important to consider for comfort and support.

Your neck pillow should be the right height to keep your neck and spine straight and even, generally higher than pillows needed for back sleepers. Your chin shouldnt be drawn in to your chest or leaned too far back. Think natural standing position.

Conditions that may see more relief from proper side sleeping include osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis and foraminal herniated disc, as the position can reduce pressure on spinal joints.

Back Sleepers

Stomach Sleepers

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When To See A Healthcare Provider

While back pain can be a normal occurrence that resolves on its own, in other cases you will need medical attention, including:

  • The pain began with a specific injury
  • Pain continues or worsens for more than a few days
  • Pain is debilitating
  • Pain radiates to the legs or other parts of the body
  • You experience weakness or numbness in your lower body
  • There are signs of infection like redness, warmth, swelling, or fever
  • You have a personal history of cancer
  • You have other unexplained health changes like weight loss or urinary problems

If you notice new signs and symptoms of back pain after a period of remission , contact your healthcare provider.

Try Changing Up Your Sleeping Position

Depending on the cause and nature of your hip pain, you can try to change your sleeping position. For example, if youre a side sleeper dealing with a bruise or inflammation, sleeping on your back or side, or at the very least avoiding the injured side, may help fight pain.

If youre a back or stomach sleeper with a soft mattress and cant afford a new bed, you can try switching to side-sleeping. The softer mattress may be better at cushioning pressure points, including your hips, and keeping your lower back aligned.

Giving a new sleeping position a shot is worth a try, but it wont always pan out. Many people involuntarily move back to their traditional sleeping position during the night, and in those cases, a long-term sleeping position change may fail to take hold.

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Vesgantti Upgraded Comfort Hybrid Mattress

Best for side sleepers

The Vesgantti Upgraded Comfort Hybrid Mattress is another CertiPUR-US-certified option that offers buyers a 100-night trial. This can allow a person time to determine whether the mattress improves their sciatica symptoms.

It is also an affordable option.

This mattress is constructed with 11-inch pocket springs that are individually wrapped, along with supportive memory foam that is great for people who like to sleep on their side.

The responsive nature of both the pocket springs and foam means the mattress conforms to the position of the body as it changes during the night, keeping pressure off of potentially painful areas, such as the hips.

How Do I Know If I Have Sciatica

Choosing a Mattress for Back Pain

The sciatic nerves are the two largest nerves in the body. They run from your lower back through your hips and buttock and down each leg. When the nerve becomes irritated, inflamed, pinched, or compressed, it can cause sciatica. Sciatica can be a real pain in the butt or lower back. Or even the leg, calf, or foot. Its a common ailment that affects as many as 40% of people at some point in their lives. Yet, sciatica is a rather misunderstood pain.

Sciatica usually occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched by a bulging or herniated disk in your spine. In rarer cases, the pain can result from a tumor putting pressure on the nerve or damage to the nerve caused by diseases like diabetes. The location and intensity of your pain depends upon where the injury or damage is along the nerve and how bad the damage is. Sciatica pain has been described as dull, sore, numbing, jolting, throbbing, hot, stabbing, or radiating. The intensity can also vary from a slight nagging pain to severe and debilitating one.

Although sciatica is painful, it usually resolves within a matter of weeks. However, once you have experienced sciatica, you will likely have future episodes. In some cases, sciatica can lead to more serious problems.

Symptoms of Sciatica

Because the sciatic nerves affect several parts of the body, symptoms of sciatica can vary. Lets look at some of the most common signs of sciatica:

Causes of Sciatica

There are several conditions that can cause sciatica:

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Is Your New Memory Foam Mattress Causing Back Pain

If you buy an extra firm or extra soft memory foam mattress, it may cause your body aches, joint pain, and back pain. The medium-firm memory foam mattresses are fit for all sleeping styles and provide optimum back support. Most people buy too soft memory foam mattresses for more comfort but it may cause them lower back pain after sleeping a few days on it. I recommend you use a medium-range memory foam mattress that has a thick supportive foam layer. Some people ask that memory foam mattress hurts my back I think they should choose the correct mattress and maintain the right sleeping posture.

Try Orthopedic Memory Foam

Orthopaedic memory foam mattresses are designed for people who suffer from back and joint pain during the night and can have great benefits for those with leg pain. Offering heightened comfort and support, orthopaedic mattresses feature deep layers of comfort foam and zoned channels for targeted pressure relief.

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Which Type Of Mattress Is Best For Hip Pain

The type of support that you get from a mattress is determined largely by the type of mattress that you use. Five types of mattresses are on the market, and each has pros and cons. The following sections introduce these mattress types, but its important to note that performance isnt uniform within each category. While there are consistent features, the performance of any given mattress will depend on the specifics of its construction, which can vary even within a mattress type.

Can It Possibly Cause Sciatica

The best sleep positions to help with back pain

If you know anyone that has sciatica, youll probably hear them complain about it constantly. Its quite painful. Sciatica is a painful, tingly or numbing sensation down the side or back of the legs that runs down the sciatic nerve .

Its caused by degenerative disc disease and sleeping on a bad mattress can accelerate or exacerbate sciatica symptoms. Therefore, indirectly, you could say that it can cause sciatica. It certainly wont help!

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